Chapter 1: More Allies
The heat of the summer was not as nearly stifling as Harry's temperature at the moment. "I said, get out of my room! And stop playing with Hedwig's cage!" Harry shouted at his cousin, Dudley. "It's not your room! It's my room really!" shouted Dudley as Harry painstakingly tried to wrench Hedwig's cage out of his cousin's hands. "Mum and dad were just scared of what your freaky friends might actually do to them! Without your lot and their...their...you know...silly little stick pieces...you would be nothing but-AHHHH!! YOU POINT THAT THING SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!" By now, Harry wasn't really thinking straight. With his wand pointed straight at Dudley's piggy little eyes, he only worried about which spell he could cast that would cause the most damage.
"MUM!!! DAD!!! HARRY'S GOT HIS...HIS YOU-KNOW-WHAT POINTED AT ME!!!!" Dudley shouted down the stairs towards his parents, Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Petunia Dursley was under complete duress at this time. "Oh my goodness!! Didders!! Save him Vernon, save him!!" "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SON, BOY! AHHHHH!!!!! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!" Harry's Uncle Vernon was more scared of magic then anything else in the world. If it had been up to him, he would have sent Harry to the orphanage the minute that Petunia found him on the front doorstep 14 years ago. It was Harry's Aunt Petunia who had realized that they were his only protection from the dangers of the most powerful dark wizard of all time.
It was then that Harry finally came to his senses. Not only if he performed any more magic would he be expelled from Hogwarts, but his aunt might finally snap and kick him out of the house. So finally, slowly, he lowered his wand from Dudley's face. "Oh, my poor little Didders!! Did he hurt you at all?" asked the chalk white face of Petunia. The shaking and pale form of Dudley slumped to the floor as he uttered the words, "No...no...he didn't use his...his....thing. But...he said...he said..." Dudley's fear of nearly being turned into a cockroach for the remainder of his short, pathetic life was clearly exhausting. "It's alright, Popkin, its alright. We'll go have some nice tea and a fruitcake and then you'll go lay down for a while in you room," said Petunia as she led Dudley away downstairs. As his Uncle Vernon faced him, Harry could see he was not pleased at all. "Now what in the world were you thinking, boy?" asked Vernon Dursley. "If you ever come near my son again, I swear, you will be kicked out of this house so fast your head will spin! Is that clear?" "Vernon!" shouted Aunt Petunia as she came back up the stairs. "Now, dear, why don't we let the boy have a chance to explain what happened?" Uncle Vernon looked as though who could not care less even if Harry was denouncing magic. "Well," began Harry, "Dudley came in my room and was going to throw Hedwig's cage out the window! So I got out my wand but didn't use it...I was upset, don't you understand? Besides, he insulted my friends...called them a bunch of cowards! I don't insult his friends!"
"See darling? Nothing to worry about. Dudley had a part in it too...he was harassing Harry. It's just as much Dudley's fault as it was Harry's...Harry just lost his temper that's all. And he didn't use his...his...thingy. No harm done," said Aunt Petunia, appearing calm, although she was still very pale in the face. Turning towards Harry, she said, "Harry, dear, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't play around with that thing with Dudley in the room. And I'll remind Dudley to mind his manners." And with that, Aunt Petunia, and a somewhat less satisfied Uncle Vernon, went out of Harry's room and down the stairs to tend to Dudley.
Harry was dazed. He had gotten away with threatening Dudley with his wand for the third time this summer. Normally by now, he would have been chucked out of the house. For some reason that was quite unknown to Harry, Aunt Petunia had been somewhat reluctant towards Harry and his occasional outbursts, which had been happening a lot. Maybe Dumbledore had sent Aunt Petunia another Howler, reminding her of the bond that she would break if she were to kick Harry out of the house. But then where would Harry go? Perhaps the Burrow? Or the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix? Harry's heart felt even heavier. Although a part of him looked forward to getting away from the Dursleys, a part of him was not overjoyed to revisit the home of his late godfather. Amongst his dreams of his friends, Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix, or nightmares of the Dark Lord attacking his friends on the Quidditch field, Sirius pondered his dreams more than anything else. There, Harry was sure that his midnight meetings with his godfather meant something. What his dreams meant, he had no idea of. As Harry began to think of these thoughts, he saw Sirius falling through the vale, with Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange laughing at him...and Sirius falling, falling through darkness...No, thought Harry. Not thinking about that. The last thing he wanted to think about at the moment was the death of his godfather. But maybe Sirius isn't dead, said a small voice in the back of his head. What are talking about, Harry told the voice. Of course he's dead, you saw him fall. Everyone saw him...But how do you still believe that he's alive, contradicted the voice. You know he's still alive. Shut up, Harry told the voice.
With a gutsy sigh, Harry went downstairs and out the front door, not quite sure where it actually was he was headed. It was nearly six, and Harry was glad it wasn't earlier. It seemed that people in the neighborhood had been staring at him more than usual...as if he they knew somehow that he was a wizard...but no...that was impossible. Maybe some were being blackmailed or something by Voldemort...no of course not, Harry told himself. Don't be silly. That's impossible. Is it, asked that little voice again. "Harry!" shouted someone from behind him. Harry's heart gave a double jolt, then relaxed when he saw it was only Mrs. Figg, a neighbor who just happened to be a Squib. "Harry! Harry, dear, I'm so glad I caught you," exclaimed his batty neighbor, who had still failed to change out of something other than her carpet slippers. Her expression changed from serious, to worried. "What in the world are doing out so late? Don't you remember what happened last summer?" Mrs. Figg asked Harry. "Well?" After swallowing another loud sigh, Harry sheepishly answered, "Of course I remember! I was almost expelled..." "That's right! And you better remember it! Dumbledore had to go all the way to the Ministry to keep you from having your wand snapped in half...and all because of that irresponsible Mudungus, and because you chose to wander out late!" yelled Mrs. Figg. "Well, it's not my fault that foul Umbridge woman had to go and send Dementors on me," exclaimed an exasperated Harry. "And anyway," Harry continued, "like you said, it is late and I should be getting back to the Dursleys..." "Not so fast young man!" yelled Mrs. Figg, her hair frizzing standing atop her head and making her look even more batty and ominous then usual. She obviously was not about to let Harry get away. Coming very close to Harry, she said, "I have message for you, directly from Dumbledore! Dumbledore to me, that now is a time for you to be very, very careful. He doesn't want you to be walking around too far from your house, even during the day! Don't talk to anyone you don't know too well," said Mrs. Figg, her eyes darted around suspiciously. Harry was utterly confused at first, but then, when he started to think about it, it made perfect sense. Of course! By now Voldemort would most likely understand what was protecting Harry. And now all he had to do was to find a way to break that charm..."I've got to go, Mrs. Figg...good night," Harry said, a look of complete worry now upon his face. But Mrs. Figg was clearly experiencing a sense of courage ness.
"Don't you say good night to me yet, boy! I have to walk you home! Make sure you get there without being attacked again! I may be a Squib, but you need someone to make sure your not alone...honestly...walking around alone, after hours! Although you have a new guard, I am not about the trust them, not after that whole escapade with criminal bloke, Mudungus!" They had reached the doorstep of number 4, Privet Drive. "I have a new guard?" asked Harry incuriously. "I haven't even been here for three weeks yet!" Mrs. Figg looked at Harry. "Of course you have a new guard! What did you think; we were going to have Mudungus look after you again? And then what?" she asked. "You could be enchanted by veela and then be attacked by a troll...who knows what goes on it that head of yours, boy..." And with that, she walked off into the darkness, still mumbling on and on about spells, pixies, trolls, and who knows what.
"Where the bloody hell were you Harry? Were you trying to get attacked by those bloody, dementoids again or what?" shouted an angry Uncle Vernon. Why did it seem as though he was worried about my safety, wondered Harry. Maybe he had received a Howler earlier in the day, from Dumbledore or someone from the Order. Although he had been checking in with the Order every few days or so, they had not mentioned anything of be worried too much on Harry's whereabouts during the days. Harry gloomily answered, "Of course not Uncle Vernon, I was out talking to Mrs. Figg about some important information that my Headmaster needed to tell inform me of," explained Harry, and then bolted up the stairs before his uncle could ask any more questions.
But Harry had questions of his own. What was going on that no one wanted to tell him about? He had received letters regularly from Ron and Hermione, although they also, were not saying much. "Once again, we're real sorry Harry, but we're still not allowed to say much..." "Moody is still very paranoid about someone intercepting our letters..." "We're bond to see you very soon...so don't worry we'll get you out of there before you know it...and we'll tell you everything that's going on, though there's not much."
Harry wanted more than anything to see his two best friends. He felt so alone and misunderstood during the long days spent at Privet Drive and cut off, not completely, but bloody close, to the wizarding world. Harry closed his door quietly. He looked around the room. Like his previous summer, he was accustomed, nor in the mood, to clean his bedroom. The bed was unmade; clothes and books littered the floor, Hedwig's cage stood unoccupied, but smelling of droppings and dead animals that she collected every night.
Harry had been receiving the Daily Prophet, and there had been many headlines on the returns of Voldemort. At least those blokes have finally come to their senses, thought Harry. There were many columns on the supposed whereabouts of Voldemort, his Death Eaters identities, ways for wizards to protect themselves, and editorials on residents saying that they had seen Voldemort on their way to buy groceries.
What was going on over there at the Order? He understood that letter could be intercepted, but still, some things could be put into terms only he, Harry, would recognize. He had done it before, surely one of the Order could. After remembering to whom his last letter had been sent, Harry looked up at the brightly lit sky and sighed. It had been over a month since Sirius had died, but Harry still couldn't forget the look on his godfather's face as the green spell hit him and he fell through the dark, tattered, veil. The laughter not yet gone from his handsome face, but his eyes full of shock, and a look of fear overcame him as he-NO. Not going to think about that again, Harry told himself.
But as Harry looked up at the dark, black, twinkling star encrusted sky, he couldn't help but feel that sudden, powerful wave of sadness, and longing to see Sirius. For the past few weeks, Harry was scared. He didn't know where Sirius was. And he couldn't help him, or comfort him anymore.
Suddenly, one night, alone in bed and hoping for more dreams of Sirius, Harry dreamt of something else. There was darkness all around...the only light source came for a crackling fire nearby. Harry sat in armchair as blue as midnight, dressed in scarlet robes and facing the fire. "Wormtail!" spat Harry, "Bring him to me!" The small, trembling form of Peter Pettigrew limped forward. "Yes, master," he croaked. Wormtail slithered away, and as soon as he was gone, another figure entered out of the darkness. The figure, clothed in dark, purple robes, spoke to Harry as though he was not frightened at all, "My Lord. It is a great pleasure to meet the one who is such an inspiration towards my own culture. We may come from different backgrounds, you and I, but I believe we have the same goal; to rid the world of this Mudblood filth," at this time he spat into the fire, and then continued. "and of course, to make a little profit along the way. Well, maybe more than a little. Hahaha! In any case, once we have joined forces, nothing will stop us! Not even that so called pest of yours, Harry Potter!"
Harry woke up, trembling, pale and sweaty. Something was going on. He didn't know if the Order knew what was happening, but he, Harry, did. And he needed to get out of Little Whinging as soon as possible. He did not remember that much from the dream, but he did remember seeing the monogram, M.M, on the man's purple robes, before he woke up.
I have just had a very weird dream. It seems as though Voldemort has a new ally...possibly even more in his scheme against the world. I need to get out of here...go to the Order or the Burrow...anyplace but here. I have been here long enough. The Charm should keep me safe! Please, send someone, or I will use the Invisibility Cloak and just fly to London or something by myself.
-Harry
Harry wrote this on five sheets of paper. He directed one to the Order, one to Ron, one to Hermione, and was about to direct one to Sirius, when he remembered that Sirius wasn't there... He crumpled up the fifth one, and then gave the four letters to Hedwig to deliver to the recipients. Harry looked at the clock. It read 2:00 A.M. Exhausted, he fell asleep.
After rustling through more nightmares consisting in locked doors, wizard battles he in which he couldn't consult his opponent or know who his opponent was, in his last, and possibly most important dream of his godfather, Sirius said exactly, "Harry. Among the many things that every boy must learn in order to become a man, you have already learned. You're all set, mate. But one thing you have learned is perhaps the most important. The love for others, and what you would do to keep them alive. There are many people that you cannot trust, but there are even more in which you can. So please, Harry, judge carefully amongst the new, and the old you associate with. Do not make the same mistake I did." After Sirius disappeared in a flash of green light, there were more cackles of high laughter, then bursts of bright color and much screaming, to which Harry finally woke up to, in a cold, sweaty state the next morning.
